Ira Merkel
Gastroenterology · Somerset, NJNPI 1336146125
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 99.7% of the total across 154 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 20 manufacturers reported payments, led by AbbVie at 34.7% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2022 at $743 and has fallen 84.2% since, to $117 in 2024. That places this record below the midpoint for gastroenterology clinicians in NJ, where the typical reported total is $2,298.
Across 154 payments — averaging $16.50 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- AbbVie$881
- Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLC$257
- Johnson & Johnson$249
- Echosens North America, Inc.$213
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.$206
- Pfizer$151
- plus $583 from 14 others
Across 1 payment — averaging $1312.50 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- AbbVie$1K
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$2,534100%
- Education$70%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVie(2 entities) | 58 | $881 |
| Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLC | 18 | $257 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 18 | $249 |
| Echosens North America, Inc. | 2 | $213 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 14 | $206 |
| Pfizer | 10 | $151 |
| Sanofi | 1 | $117 |
| Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 8 | $116 |
| Braintree Laboratories, Inc. | 7 | $97 |
| Gilead | 4 | $52 |
| Daiichi Sankyo Inc. | 3 | $41 |
| Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 2 | $28 |
| QOL Medical, LLC | 2 | $24 |
| Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc | 1 | $17 |
| Alfasigma USA, Inc. | 1 | $16 |
| Bristol Myers Squibb | 1 | $16 |
| Merck | 1 | $15 |
| Organon | 1 | $15 |
| Ardelyx, Inc. | 1 | $14 |
| Nestle Healthcare Nutrition Inc. | 1 | $14 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
How this compares
$2,541 in reported general payments places this provider in the 50th percentile of 701 gastroenterology providers in New Jersey.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Esomeprazole Magnesium | 39 | $1,019 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 57 | $846 |
| Famotidine | 36 | $680 |
| Omeprazole | 16 | $290 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other gastroenterology in Somerset
- Vinod RustgiNew Brunswick$431K
- Zamir BrelviNewark$391K
- Adam ElfantMount Laurel$385K
- Devjit NayarHoboken$258K
- Lea ChenNew Brunswick$185K
- Alexander PerelmanWest Orange$160K
- Barry KaufmanEgg Harbor Township$157K
- Anish ShethPrinceton$151K
- Ramesh GuptaFair Lawn$143K
- Sanket PatelVoorhees$134K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.